forleten

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English forlǣtan (“to leave”), from Proto-Germanic *fralētaną.

Verb

forleten (third-person singular simple present forleteth, present participle forlette, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle forleten)

1. To forsake, disregard, abandon; reject; intr. to be neglectful

   Þe same I will do þe Þat for-lete at my lare. — Man þus on rode ... Religious Lyrics of the XIVth Century, c1425

2. To cease or neglect
   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “(please specify the story)”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:

     Whan he bigynneth any good werk, anon he wol forleten it and stynten.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

3. To leave out, omit, pass over, overlook

   We shule tellen alle ure gultes..and no þing of þe soðe forlete. — Trinity Homilies, 1225

4. To yield, to give up, resign; renounce; to put away; to release, let go, refrain from injuring

   Repentant folk that stynte for to synne and forlete synne er that synne forlete hem. — Chaucer, c1390

5. To lose (something), be deprived of; forfeit; lose track of

   Moo renovelaunces of olde forleten aqueyntaunces. — Chaucer, c1380

6. To give or forgive; allow, permit, grant

   Þam þe he her on worlde mucel to forlæteþ, mucel he to þam eft seceð. — Homilies in MS Bodley, 1175

7. To let (blood); eliminate, to discharge; of a disease: to leave (someone).

   Þe king him gon to sweten, þat ufel hine gon forleten. — — Layamon's Brut, 1275

Related terms

• forleting, forletinge — scorn, contempt
• forletness, forletnesse — scorn, contempt

Descendants

• English: forlet
• Scots: forleet

References

• Middle English Dictionary